Bath drain with self-adjusting shut-off



@ct M, 1i969 w. E. PoLrrz 3,47L873 BATH DRAIN WITH SELF-ADJUSTING SHUT-OFF Filed Oct. 5, 1966 Int. Cl. E03c 1/24 U.S. Cl. 4-199 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The vdisclosure hereof relates to trip lever bath drains and particularly toa way of initially adjusting the plunger or seating member thereof to establish shut-ott of water ow to the waste arm of a trip lever without having a trial .and error manipulation, the initial establishment of the shut-off position being elected 'after the installation and not requiring any disassembly Ior subsequent manipulation of the parts, once the seating position is established it being maintained :thereafter without further adjustment required. The concept further involves the provision yof means to permit a relative one-way movement so to speak lof the interconnection between the operating parts yof the trip lever :and the plunger so that the one-way movement can be etected and yet subsequent manipulation will permit regulation of the waste flow through the drain.

This invention relates to bath drains and more particularly to a bath drain in which lthe shut-oli means provided therein is :automatically adjustable in accordance with the adjusted height of the bath ldrain which is determined by the height of the bath tub land the overiiow opening therein.

In bath drains of the usual construction, which involve the use of a triplever arrangement, the bath drain requires a substantial amount of manipulation in its original installation in order to 'assure the proper seating of the plunger therewithin, and in most cases requires the installation to be made by two persons so that proper shut-oli control `of the flow of waste water from the -tub is provided.

Further than the foregoing, when the bath 'drain is ultimately installed, `and it is desired :to position Ithe shutol means therewithin, a great deal of trial and error is involved since there vare adjustable portions of the connections lof the shut-ott member with the control lever and predetermining the exact location of one with respect to the other is not always feasible and if it is accomplished, usual-ly accidentally.

'In view of the Iforegoing, the contemplation of the instant invention `is to provide a bath drain which may be simply installed and `when installed the control means for waste flow therefrom may be readily positioned, instantly adjusted in position so that it shuts off accurately time after time without `any trial and error such as required in prior art devices.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple construction which is positive in 'its action and which may be useful over a wide range of bath tubs as to the rel-ative distances betweenthe over-ow opening therein and the T which is part of the bath drain and through which the waste water liows when in use.

'IA further object of the invention Iis to provide a simple lift rod structure and engagement with the plug or plunger in the trip lever, so as to effect instantaneous adjustment of one with relation to the other upon installation.

An even more particular object of this invention is to provide a bath `drain in which the control means includes the usual control lever, in this instance pivotally arranged,

nited States Patent O 3,471,873 Patented Oct. 14, 1969 to raise yand lower -a litt rod, which lift rod includes a resilient section therein, `and the end of the lift rod is provided with a gripping member adapted to vcoeact with the plug or plunger frictionally engaged with the lift rod so as to :be adjustable relative thereto during initial installation of the control means to thereafter provide accurate opening and closing movement of the plug or plunger to open 'and shut the waste arm to provide drainage from 'the tub `or similar instrumentality.

Other and further objects of the invention will be understood -from a consideration of the specification and disclosed in the drawing wherein:

FIGURE l is a vertical section view through a bath drain showing the relationship of the parts thereof and the instrumentalities provided for the self-adjusting action.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sec- -tional view showing more particularly the engagement of the lift rod and plug or plunger together with the gripping member provided therefor.

`FIGURE 3 is an enlarged View in elevation showing the gripping member.

FIGURES 4, 5 `and 6 are yfragmentary views partly in section showing various means for retaining the connection of the plug or plunger and lift rod.

Referring to FIGURE 1, the trip lever disclosed therein, is shown as being mounted on a bath 'tub generally designated 1 and having particular spacing of the loverliow opening 2 therein with respect to the bottom 3 of the tub, which may yadvantageously Iavail of the ad justable nature of the trip lever itself, which trip lever is designated 4 and includes Ia waste T 5, having la shutot seat 6 therein, which is adapted to cooperate with a plunger 7 to maintain the water in the tub when the plunger or plug 7 is seated on the seat 6, by shutting off the waste arm generally designated 8 comprising a waste shoe 9, yadjusta-bly connected with the |arm 8 by means of a suitable slip nut 10. The waste shoe is connected to an outlet opening 11 in the tub in the usual manner by a suitable -w-aste plug generally denoted 12.

The waste T 5 is provided with an outlet 13, connected to any suitable drain in the usual manner, the Waste T in turn being provided at its upper end with an overflow arm designated 14 generally and comprising a lower member 15 having a suitable slip nut 16 with the packing 17 therein for engagement with the upper member 18, at the upper end of the latter there being provided the usual 'overiiow head 19 connected to the overflow opening 2 previously mentioned, in any conventional manner.

The overow head '19, fis intended to provide for the overflow of water in the bath tub if it Ireaches the over- -ow opening, and likewise provides a location for the control means generally designated' 20 which includes a control lever 21 pivotally mounted in the face plate 20a which latter is connected to the overllow head 19 in any conventional manner not here further described.

The lever 21, is arranged to raise and lower a lift rod 22, which rod 22 is pivotally connected at its upper end to the lever 21 by .a unique connection 23 and at its llower end provided with the yconnection to the plug lor plunger 7 which involves the selfeadjusting feature hereinbefore generally described.

The connection `23 is effected by la double loop including the members 23a and `23b which in conjunction with the end portion 23a` of the Ilever 21 eliminate the necessity for a cotter pin connection, tand yet make possible rapid assembly. The double loop arrangement prevents disconnection of the two parts and also makes available sufcient pressure to lclose the plug or plunger 7.

In connection with self-adjusting arrangement, FIGURE 2 is referred to, and discloses that the plug or plunger 7 includes in this particular instance a IWrought member or body having a portion 25 at the lower end thereof adapted to co-'act with the seat 6 to shut-off water flow, and :at its upper portion being cylindrical and hollow, formed With a transversely extending bail member 26 which may be yformed up out of the material from which the plug or plunger 7 is itself formed, and provided with an opening 27 therein through which the lift rod 22 is entered.

Ihe lower end of the lift rod 22 in this instance is deformed in a manner such Ias is 'suggested at 28 to provide la gripping action with the gripping member generally ydesignated 29 and more panticularly itself shown in FIGURE 3.

The gripping member 29 'is ya wire form member including a `series of coils indicated at 30, these coils comprising a gripping section, which closely eng-age the `lift rod 22 and is connected to a second like gripping section 31 spaced therefrom by means of a connecting portion 32.

It is understood that these :coiled sections 30 and 31 Iare arranged so that Ithe axes 30a and 31a thereof intersect 'at an angle with respect to one another Iand when positioned yon the lift rod 22 thus actually closely -frictionally grip the said rod in this instance above and below the bail 426.

It will thus be understood that the lplug or plunger 7 may be raised and lowered by the lift rod' 22 in conjunction with the gripping member 29 during operation of the member 7 for drain Ior water retention purposes.

The lift rod '22 is yformed intermediate its ends with a resilient section 30 'which will compensate -for some slight variations or yfor an obstruction which might become lodged ron the `seat 6 land otherwise prevent the closing action cf the plunger 7, in effect thus providing for slight variations which occur from time to time in the seating of the said plunger such as by soap or other matter which would not actually interfere with the closing but which would vary the operating distance thereof.

With the foregoing various elemen-ts having been described, -the actual ladvantages -of the invention will be understood when it is explained that after the trip lever including the T, `waste arm, overflow arm, overliow head and other parts are assembled on the tub, it is necessary to subsequently insert the means to shut off the water, involving the Ilift rod 22, the lever 21 and plunge-r 7.

In order to facilitate .this action and to illustrate the 'advantages yof the arrangement described, it `will be explained that the plunger or plug is positioned lat the lower extremity of the rod 22 with gripping member 29 in position about as shown in FIGURE 2, and thereafter the plug or plunger 7, lift rod 22 and control lever 21 Yassembled with the face plate, Eare inserted through the opening 2, and downwardly in the overilow arm 14, with the lever pivoted into its position opposite that -disclosed in the 'FIGURE 1. The plunger is thus positioned on the seat 6, land by manipulation of the control leve-r 21 into the position sh'own in FIGURE 1, the lift rod 22 is caused to move Idownwardly Iwith respect to the bail 26 so that the `gripping member 29 and the coils of Wire which surround rthe lift rod 22 slide frictionally with respect to one ano-ther to the extent necessary to bring the unit into the position of FIGURE 1. This is the closed position of the unit and it will Ibe observed that no trial and error was involved since the lift rod 22 moves initially in its positioning in respect to the plunger 7 but thereafter the gripping action yof the gripping member 29 upon manipu- 4 lation of the control lever 2'1 will raise and l-ower the plug or plunger 7 and thus control the flow of Iwater through the waste arm. It is clear that there was no other manipulation than the mere forcing of lthe rod 22 downwardly with respect to :the gripping member 29 which is in coaction `with the bail 26 `of the plug or plunger 7 thus enable the establishing of the relationship ultimately desired to be maintained by the said gripping member.

The llift 'rod 22 may dcsirably be provided with any preferred means fof preventing the plug or .plunger 7 from being disconnected therefrom while it is used as an operat- -ing member, and to this end FIGURE 4 shows the end of the rod 22 being upset fat 35, in FIGURE 5 the end of the rod is bent at Ian 'angle as indicated at 36 and in FIG- URE 6 the end lof the rod may be threaded and provided with a nut as indicated lat 37.

I claim:

1. In bath drain construction of the class described, in combination, a waste T, `a yshut-oil? seat vin said T, 'a shutoff plunger operable toward and Ifrom said seat to control flow of liquid through said T, :a waste arm connected to said T to direct liquid thereto, an overow arm extending from said T, an overflow head at the end of said arm, and control means extending from said head to the plunger, aforesaid, said control means comprising la control lever mounted in the head, a lift rod extending from the Ilevel and connected to the said plunger, the connection consisting of a gripping ymember -friction'ally engaging the lift rod and connecting the plunger thereto, said connection providing for initial -relative movement of the rod 'and plunger in one direction to facilitate initial seating positioning of .the plunger on the seat in the T, and opening and clos-ing operation of the plunger thereafter by said lever.

2. The combination :as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control lever is pivotally mounted in the head and' arranged -to raise Iand lower the llift rod in the overflow farm, the plunger includes a bail lfor connection of the rod and plunger, and the gripping member comprises a lspring clip `having a pair of gripping sections, one each at opposite sides of the bail, and Ia portion connecting said `sections to maintain the spacing therebetween.

3. The combination as claimed in claim 2, wherein the gripping member is formed of wire, the gripping sections consist of series of coiled loops closely engaging the lift rod above and below the bail, and the connection portions extend between said sections.

4. The combination as claimed in 'cl-aim 2, wherein the lift rod includes means at the end thereof to increase the frictional engagement of the gripping member therewith.

5. The combination as claimed in claim 2, wherein the lift rod includes means at the end thereof to prevent disengagement of the plunger and rod.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 526,508 9/1894 Stevens 4-199 2,706,298 4/ 1955 Holycross 4-199 2,871,487 2/1959 Fife 4-199 3,150,383 9/1964 Reich 4-199 PATRICK D. LAWSON, Primary Examiner 

